ad postremum
by messrs marauders
Summary: AU oneshot. it was like a tidal wave that had grown bigger and bigger as it travelled to shore, and now it was cresting, soon to fall to earth with a sickening crash. she had missed him so much and now there he stood, not a hundred feet away.


_A/N: no premise, no setting, no plot, just pure raffryn. AU._

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She hadn't expected her first sight of him to be like an actual physical blow to the chest, and finally the tight ball in her stomach – one which she hadn't even noticed until now – had dissolved and she was left with the urge to run to him and touch him, hug him, feel him. She had managed not to feel his absence too much, to ignore the space beside her where he should have been, but it was just putting off what would have to happen soon enough. And now he was there only a hundred feet or so away and it was like a tidal wave that had grown bigger and bigger as it travelled to shore, and now it was cresting, soon to fall to earth with a sickening crash. The rush of emotions that swirled inside of her made her feel dizzy and disorientated. She had missed him so much.

It was a couple of seconds after this that he half turned, and his eyes happen to fall on her. He went as still as stone, freezing in that precarious tilt. She saw him swallow once, hard and then he blinked and shook his head minutely as if trying to clear a hallucination. Their eyes met and she saw his lips form her name.

He made the first move, taking a stumbling step towards her and suddenly she was flying across the ground as if she had angel wings and he was running faster than she'd ever seen anyone move and the distance between them shrank rapidly and in a couple of seconds they collided together in the middle, finally, finally reunited. She would have overbalanced with the force at which he ran into her, had his arms not been around her waist, holding her tightly against his body.

"Penryn, Penryn, Penryn." He was whispering into her hair, a breathless mantra, running his arms up and down her back, her arms, cupping her face. She buried her face in his chest holding on to him tightly, trying to express herself wordlessly, trying to press her emotions from herself into him so he could absorb them, feel them. She felt his lips press against her hair, his hot breath on her scalp and then lower, on her forehead and she couldn't wait any longer, so she surged upwards at the same time he lowered his head and their lips touched. Finally, finally. His lips were warm, salty and soft and they fit against hers like she had never imagined they would. She felt his biceps flex around her as he clasped her even closer; if that was even possible. One hand flattened against her spine, the other cupping her head to him while her hands were twined around his neck and buried in his dark hair.

The last time they had kissed, it hadn't felt like this. This was desperate and needy, taking from each other as much as they gave; lips moving in synchrony; ragged breaths being pulled from deep within; clasping, clawing fingers trying to pull the other closer, even closer. Something dark and almost painful curled in her gut.

"Penryn," he murmured against her lips, her name a breathless mantra; a prayer he was reciting over and over. She drew away, only just realising that he feet were no longer on the ground and his arms were the only thing holding her upright.

He pulled away so he could look at her, and she saw relief and confusion in the frown lines on his face, disbelief in the downturn of his mouth, desire in the darkness of his eyes. His eyes fluttered closed as she pressed soft kisses on his jaw.

He set her down gently, ever so gently and ran a hand across his face.

"How? I watched you die." As his voice broke on the last word, she reached up to cup his face.

"Not dead…" she swallowed painfully, remembering that night. "Just paralysed." He gave a rasping laugh and dropped his head onto her shoulder, in a pose that must have been uncomfortable for him considering the height difference.

"I missed you." He whispered into her skin, fingers tightening on her waist, "I _missed_ you. I thought I'd missed my chance…" She stroked a hand through his hair, comforting him, reassuring him, letting him know that she was here, that she wouldn't be going anywhere.

That she would be here with him, always.

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_I wrote this in literally fifteen minutes and it's not been beta'd so I apologise for any mistakes. Reviews are much appreciated._


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